Tom Hanks Has “No Respect” For People Not Wearing Masks During Pandemic

If you aren’t taking COVID-19 seriously, Tom Hanks wants nothing to do with you. Back in mid-March, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson shared with the world that they had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The uber-famous couple was quarantined as they recovered and thankfully, they were later given a clean bill of health. Unsurprisingly, Hanks doesn’t mess around when it comes to taking proper precautions against the spread of coronavirus, and he had a few words for people who have taken to the streets to fight against mask-wearing ordinances.

Tom Hanks,  Today, Masks, COVID-19, Coronavirus
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Staff / Getty Images

On Tuesday (July 7), Tom Hanks appeared on Today and discussed the growing number of people who have spoken out against wearing masks in public spaces during a pandemic. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with COVID-19. The idea of doing one’s part, though, should be so simple: Wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands,” said the actor. “That alone means you are contributing to the betterment of your house, your work, your town, your society as a whole. And it’s such a small thing. … It’s a mystery to me how somehow that has been wiped out of what should be ingrained in the behavior of us all.”

“Look, there’s no law against ignorance. It’s not illegal to have opinions that are wrong,” Hanks said. “But there is a darkness on the edge of town here folks, and … let’s not confuse the fact: It’s killing people. … Yeah, that’s right. It’s killing people. And you can say, ‘Well, traffic accidents kill an awful lot of people too.’ A traffic accident happened because a lot of drivers aren’t doing their part. … I don’t know how common sense has somehow been put in question.” Watch Tom Hanks on Today below.